The Internet Of Things (IoT) And The Death Of Privacy

We live in an increasingly connected world where the average household now has more than seven Internet-connected devices, according to a YouGov survey conducted In the UK In 2015. No longer Is the modem global Web restricted to the desktop computer in the home office or living room or indeed, even laptops or smart phones Enter the Internet of Things, or loT for short, a network of Internet-connected devices ranging from smart thermostats to remote-controlled garden sprinklers and just about everything In between.

Technology has undoubtedly made our lives eager than we could ever have Imagined. The loT encompasses a vast range of different types of devices, ranging from washing machines that can automatically order more detergent to refrigerators that can automatically download and display new recipes on built-in monitors Other lot devices, current and soon-to-be-released, have more practical Implications, such as the ability to remotely monitor your home while you're away or tum on the heating before you get back.

Unfortunately, the convenience afforded by all of these much-hyped mart-home devices come at a price. The devices typically transmit data autonomously both through your local network and the global Internet beyond. After all, this degree of interoperability Is crucial for such devices to function as intended. Consequently, everyday household objects may be transmitting potentially sensitive data that, if intercepted, could lead to disastrous consequences A particularly disconcerting example is when a hacker manages to gain control of a camera or microphone in your home.

When any pervasive new technology starts becoming a big thing, there tend to be overly enthusiastic early adopters on one side and paranoid tin-foil hat wearers on the other. However, it shouldn't take much more than a little common sense to realize the possible Implications of having supposedly completely innocuous household devices connected to the Internet. For example, Samsung recently sparked great controversy when people realized that their Smart TVs were collecting information about their viewing habits in another case, someone staying in a hotel where all the light switches had been replaced with Android tablets managed to gain access to the entire electrical system of the venue. In fact, some cases sound downright bizarre and, too many of us, might seem completely Implausible, such as a wide-scale cyber-attack involving smart refrigerators back in 2015. Yes, the humble household refrigerator ended up being the tool used to steal email addresses and send out hundreds of thousands of spam emails.

In the eyes of a hacker, whether a hobbyist or full-blown cybercriminal, every computer Is hack able, at least In theory. It doesn't matter whether it’s a computer in a toaster or a supercomputer hidden away in a top-secret underground base. Unless appropriate security protocols are in place, it can be hacked into, and the information stored on it or being transmitted to or from the device can be intercepted.

It's not Just hackers that owners of smart home appliances need to worry about. While legislation in various countries is trying to fight against the Increasing encroachment of technology in our private lives, with varying degrees of success of failure, the fact remains that many businesses are secretly collecting information about you and are doing so perfectly legally. Most companies know that few people actually bother to read their often extremely lengthy agreement polices, thus they have every legal opportunity to capitalize on people's Ignorance However, it is perhaps understandable that few bother to read things like privacy policies when, according to an article published in the Time magazine In 2012, the average Internet user would need to spend 76 working days Just to read all of the policies for the products and services they use!

Perhaps the biggest problem of all is that data has now become one of the most Important and valuable assets in the business world and, by definition, Internet-connected smart-home devices produce and transmit data. Current business models often work by offering inexpensive products, instead compensating themselves largely by collecting and selling customer data inducing everything from browsing habits to, In the case of a smart wristband, your exercise habits. In other words, you're the product, rather than what you're actually buying.

Some people claim that they would be prepared to pay companies an extra fee to protect their privacy by not selling on their data to third parties. Such an example is when Sony planned to charge $5o to remove spyware and °the junk software from its laptop computers back in 2008. Fortunately, the company was forced to reverse its decision after a tide of fury from consumers and competitors alike. Ultimately, this way of giving 'power' back to the consumer is nothing more than a legalized protection racket. It might sound wholly absurd, but it's not completely beyond the realms of possibility that, one day in not too long from now, companies could be charging you extra for additional security and privacy features on that gnarl toaster they're trying to peddle.

Unfortunately, there Is a vast global market for personal data, and there is no shortage of companies and individuals around the world who will stop at nothing to learn everything they possibly can about you, regardless of whether or not you have explicitly Oven them permission to do so. The Internet of Things undoubtedly facilitates this insatiable hunger for data and, as such, unless you're absolutely comfortable with giving up at least a portion of your privacy, and you're very familiar with the security Implications of the loT, you should approach it with great caution.

Final Words:

As with everything concerning new technologies, there are both good and bad elements, and the loT undoubtedly provides innumerable benefits, at least in theory. However, the problem lies not so much the technology itself, but with the way people and businesses alike use it. Many consumers don't even think twice before they post something completely inappropriate on Facebook, let alone unwittingly give away their personal data to an unknown third party. Unless people learn from their mistakes and learn how to take back control, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty, Four might turn out to be not too far from the reality after all.